Cardiff Blues vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

Head to Head

This is the first time for the two teams to meet in a competitive fixture though Cardiff did tour South Africa in 2012 when they narrowly defeated the Cheetahs.

The Coaches

Cheetah’s coach, Franco Smith, spent a season with Newport during 1999-2000 before taking up coaching in Bloemfontein in 2005. He went on to be appointed head coach of the then Super Rugby franchise for the 2016 season. In two seasons in Super Rugby he lead the Cheetahs to a total of eight victories – six of those against the Kings and Sunwolves. In his 33 games in charge, his team has only won 4 games away from home. In the Pro12, a one point victory in Parma is the team’s only away win this season.

The Referee

Amongst the more senior referees in the Pro14, only Clancy, Lacey and Owens are older than Ian Davies. This weekend will see Davies referee his 70th game in the competition, and only Owens, Clancy and Mitrea have officiated at more games. With a home-win rating of only 56%, Davies’ record reveals a more equitable approach to away teams than his peers. He’s ref’d Cardiff fourteen times (though only three times at CAP), with the home side losing on six occasions. He’s averaging only 16 penalties per game in the Pro14 – one of the lowest in the league. He’s yet to referee a game featuring the Cheetahs.

Prediction

Predicting the result of a game when there is no head-to-head track record is difficult, and this is compounded by the poor preparation the home team will have endured thanks to the disruptive effects of the Six Nations. However, given the Cheetah’s awful away form as well as their defensive frailties, the home team will run out victors by 26-14, once more missing out on a bonus point.